Food storage devices in which trays of precooked food items are staged at an elevated temperature pending an order for a sandwich that incorporates the staged precooked food have been successfully used in the past at quick service restaurants. Such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,886, for example. In practice, food storage devices were programmed by Personal Data Assistants (PDAs). However, because it was easy to lose, break or have PDAs stolen, programming by PDAs is often impractical. In addition, as with many other consumer electronics, specific models of PDAs may be discontinued and technologies change requiring the programming software to be updated and sometimes causing confusion among users of the food storage devices because the PDA has changed. Therefore, there is a need for food storage devices that can be programmed without a PDA.
While operation of food storage devices is straightforward, programming may be relatively complicated and time-consuming. In addition, if the programming is not done correctly, food items staged in the food storage devices may become dried out, soggy and generally of unacceptable quality or they may be prematurely thrown away. Thus, any new systems and methods for programming the food storage devices should be easy, quick and intuitive. The need for new food storage devices having such improved programming systems and methods is exacerbated due to the capability and need for the food storage device to typically have multiple (2, 3, 4, 5 or more) compartments, each capable of receiving three or more trays with the temperature of each compartment separately programmable and controllable, and for the elapsed storage time of each tray being readily ascertainable by a user.
In quick service restaurants, hundreds and thousands of sandwiches may be served in a day. Some of these sandwiches may be bought for only a dollar or other low price and yet the same sandwich must be served quickly and be of consistent quality. Given the sheer volume of sandwiches and the competitiveness of the quick service restaurant industry, gaining small efficiencies can significantly improve the profitability of a quick service restaurant. Thus, there is a need for improved food storage devices.